| rdfs:comment | - It is the use of this specialised ammunition that makes the Deathwatch Tactical Marine such a fearsome and highly flexible warrior. Hellfire Rounds, for example, have been introduced following the lessons learned in costly battles against Hive Fleet Behemoth, each containing a small payload of mutagenic acid that is devastating to organic matter. Dragonfire Rounds explode on contact with their foe, erupting in a burst of incandescent chemical fire that soon engulfs the target. Kraken Rounds contain a super-dense core that affords them improved range and penetration compared to a conventional round, making them ideal against heavily armoured targets. Metal Storm Rounds are examples of highly sophisticated and barely understood technology, each containing a miniscule proximity detector that
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| abstract | - It is the use of this specialised ammunition that makes the Deathwatch Tactical Marine such a fearsome and highly flexible warrior. Hellfire Rounds, for example, have been introduced following the lessons learned in costly battles against Hive Fleet Behemoth, each containing a small payload of mutagenic acid that is devastating to organic matter. Dragonfire Rounds explode on contact with their foe, erupting in a burst of incandescent chemical fire that soon engulfs the target. Kraken Rounds contain a super-dense core that affords them improved range and penetration compared to a conventional round, making them ideal against heavily armoured targets. Metal Storm Rounds are examples of highly sophisticated and barely understood technology, each containing a miniscule proximity detector that triggers the round’s detonation microseconds before impact, lacerating the foe with thousands of razor-sharp fragments that causes him to bleed out in seconds. Stalker Bolts are optimised for range and stealth, allowing a Tactical Marine to use his Bolter as a makeshift sniper rifle, increasing his flexibility and lethality still further. This huge range of ammunition types means that the Deathwatch Tactical Marine can face a wide range of foes, and the Shot Selector allows him to switch, even in the heat of battle, from one to the next. Some Tactical Marines, however, choose to specialise instead of taking this all-round approach. It is not uncommon for one of a Kill-team’s Tactical Marines to carry a special weapon, such as a Flamer or Meltagun into combat. Such weapons do not have the broad utility of a Bolter fitted with a Shot Selector and utilising the specialised ammunition of the Deathwatch. Instead they excel at one particular tactical task, such as engaging multiple foes in the case of the Flamer, or attacking heavily armoured enemies, or fortified positions, with the Meltagun. Because he has already served as a Scout, Devastator, and Assault Marine in his parent Chapter, a Tactical Marine is able to take over the duties of a fallen brother should the mission demand. Even if he is not as well practised in a specialist weapon, such as a Multi-Melta, a Tactical Marine can take over the operation of such a weapon should the Devastator carrying it fall in action. Such flexibility and wide range of skills and experience makes the Deathwatch Tactical Marine the core of the Kill-team, and the equal of almost any foe he may encounter.
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